Feds invest $3.6M to update Tecumseh sewage pump station

The federal government announced$3.6 millionto help replace theCedarwood Sanitary Pump Station, a move officials saywillhelp reduce the risk of basement flooding for Tecumseh residents.

The announcementwas made by the Liberal MP forWindsor-Tecumseh, Irek Kusmierczyk, alongside Tecumseh MayorGary McNamara,on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old pump station serves a 920-hectare area in Tecumseh withthousandsof residents. It will be replaced by a new station at the same site, with construction to begin in2027.

The $3.6 million represents 40 per cent of the cost, with the town paying the rest.

Kusmierczyk explained that the investment is a part of the federal government's Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF), which goestoward flood mitigation solutions, including reinforcing existing infrastructure with modern, moresustainable materials.

Mayor McNamara said he was "thrilled" to see the federal funding becauseit'll benefitresidents and businesses in the long and short term.

"This funding is not just an upgrade to our infrastructure but a crucial step towards enhancing the resilience and sustainability of our community," McNamara explained. "By modernizing this pump station, we are significantly reducing the risk of basement flooding and other climate-related impacts."

A 2023article from theInstitute for Research on Public Policycalls basement flooding the biggestexpense related to climate change in Canada, costing $43,000 on average.

Windsor and Tecumseh experienced historic flooding in 2016 and 2017.

Since 2019, thefederal government has invested $15 millionin funding to modernize Tecumseh'sflood resiliency infrastructure, Kusmierczyksaid.

He says he met with McNamara on his first day as an MP to discuss the key priorities for his riding and signalled the rise of severe weather events as one of his causes of concern.

McNamara says the upgrades are needed to support new housing that will be built. However, this increase won't result in greater capacity at the pumping station because of an existing agreement about how much it can send to the Little River sewage treatment plant.